Phuket Vegetarian Festival is held from
the first through the ninth Chinese lunar month; that
is, in September or October. It was first celebrated
in 1825, when a troupe of actors enacted these rites
to ward off a plague. Vegetarian food is eaten by participants
and white clothes worn during the period of the fest.
Selfmutilization is practiced by those whose bodies
become the temporary residence of powerful gods. Parades
of worshippers brave fireworks while carrying images
through the streets; others walk on fire or climb bladed
ladders. Participants number in the thousands. The whole
forms one of the most bizarre festivals in Thailand.
Home
